Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-23
WOMANs 5HEER
WITH A LITTLE BITING SAhCA>I
MIXED IN IT.
How a Man Became Chronica ily
Discouraged-AIl Broke Up-But
His Wife had Pluck.

Its the last time am going 10 try
Luck is against me and Pll just give up
There is no use of trying to do anythin.
when the odds are against you"
1t was John Harris who was doing tn,
talking. His wife was sewing buttons OF
the children's clothes after they had gon,
to bed. As she held the buttons in hel
mouth, to prevent them rolling off, she haC
no opportunity to answer her husband
even if she had the inclination.
Mr.. Harris resumed:
Pm clean discouraged, that's what
am Of course don't think of myself
Mrs. Harris lip curled little, and one
button escaped and rolled under the table
=" its you and the children I'm worried
about another button rolled away
and if it wasn't for leaving you alone
Mary, Fd"-
He did not finish what he was saving
as Just then Mrs. Harris coughed and all
the buttons flew out of her mouth
SIS it such a bad failure ?" she asked
presently. She was darning the children's
stockings now, having sewed on all the
fugitive buttons.
:" 1t couldn't be any worse. When a
mans partner takes all the money out Of
the business, and skips to a foreign coun-
try, everybody hounds him to death as il
he had been dishonest All the creditors
are clamoring for their money, not because
they need it, but because haven't got it.
It's no Use, Mary; Pm ruined man, and
Pm going to find way out of it ALL
GLOW ~ asked Mrs Harris, calmly, al
though the long, slender needle she was
using trembled and vibrated in her hand.
There are more ways than one" he an
swered significantly. Il shall not live to
see you want, or to be burden on you and
the children. There is no dishonor at
tached to my name now We have lived
within our means and tried honestly to
succeed. 1t was rash, l suppose, to en-
bark all in one venture and lose it,
= You have not lost ALL suggested his
wife you have health, wife and children
and an unblemished character
" Poor capital, these" retorted her hus-
band, gloomily. No. [ am going to give
up. | tell you, Mary, Pm discouraged
man. You don't know what it is to en-
dure business worries; women are shell
tered and protected from all those annoy
ances"
Are they ?" answered Mrs Harris with
dry lips. She had done the work of three
women that day. She had been cook and
nurse, now she was seamstress. She had
cut and contriyed, counted pennies and
was engaged to give music lessons to the
doctors daughter, to offset their last year s
bill. Her whole frame quivered with the
pain of Jared and tangled nerves. But it
never entered into her mind that she dared
to complain. 4" Doe the Next Thynge."
was the motto she had framed and hung
up where she could see it many times a
day.
" AS | say" continued her husband after
spell of gloomy thought, there's way
out of it, and many man has been driven
to it. won't live and be prosecuted by a
mob OF 'rumstances. If | were out of
the way Ju and the children would have
enough to live on comfortably the rest Of
your lives. It's only anticipating our
final fate by few months or years"
Mrs. Harris folded the last pair of stock
ings and laid them neatly away. A little
smile lowered about her lips.
John" she said in firm voice, "
have last favor to ask of you"
What is it, Nary"
Don't die in the house.
Before the astonished man could speak
she continued
Because it would he so unpleasant for
the children and for me- 1t is our home.
! have the deed of it in my possession.
sent TO me by my father yesterday. And
| should hate to have any unpleasant as
sociations connected with it. / should
very much dislike to have You buried at
the four corners near here with stake
driven through you, though people would
soon forget that we ever belonged to
you. For | would not own to being the
widow of a coward or let my children bear
his name. And even if you were not held
responsible | would be ashamed to think
you had written your own epitaph, Here
lies discouraged man."
John Harris was dumb with surprise.
81 know" continued his wife, "that it is
a fayorite thing for men to say that they
will get out of it all, and that women dc
not realize how desperate the situation is
and lot more rubbish that they ought to
be ashamed Of"
John tried to speak, but his wife had
the floor.
:" 1t is only coward who would take
refuge in death and leave his wife and
children to fight the battle of life alone
And right here, John, | want that
subject to end forever. 1t is hard enough
to live with a man who is chemically dis
couraged, but when he hints of getting out
Of it, | objectI7
John Harris never again made any
vague and improbable threats, but took
the dilemma of business by both horns and
practically mastered it. Nor has his wife
ever heard him declare since that evening
that he was "a discouraged man" -" u
l.. r." in Detroit Free Press.